


The Moon Tonight

by Hyacinthium



Series: Saimota Week 2018 [1]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Kissing, LGBTQ Themes, Saimota Week 2018, Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-05
Updated: 2018-12-05
Packaged: 2019-09-12 10:27:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,281
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16871254
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hyacinthium/pseuds/Hyacinthium
Summary: Shuichi and Kaito go on a romantic vacation, culminating in a confession beneath the night sky, the moon as their only witness.





	The Moon Tonight

**Author's Note:**

> For all you sisters, brothers, and various siblings out there. 
> 
> Happy Saimota Week! Had to combine prompts one and two, sorry.

"Well, it took until the last day of vacation... But we're out here now!" Kaito says, voice loud in their clearing. "Bundled up with blankets and armed."

"With binoculars," Shuichi dryly mutters, shifting closer to the man. It's still a bit cold even with the blankets, but it really just makes the cuddling better. The scent of Kaito's cologne is comforting too- starving out the anxious buzz from being outside in the middle of nowhere. 

The sounds of nature really are majestic though. Especially in the night, when even Shuichi’s nerves are are quieted by body heat and the night sky. Cityscapes have nothing on stars untouched by light pollution. Constellations, heavenly bodies, and planets. It's been quite some time since Shuichi and Kaito did some simple stargazing.

Always busy with work or school. To think that even Ultimates have to worry about such things- is what a certain friend would say. Not that they're quite the same as other Ultimates. Winning your Talent by going on a disturbed television show lends a layer of separation.

But everyone is different from back then, that's the thought in Shuichi’s head as Kaito pulls them closer together. Time to think and grow has gone by since then. Everyone is older and more mature. Everyone has already confronted the nasty little things from pregame and ingame. Everyone is... Happy.

The Detective shifts and barely resists frowning. Kaito's chin, currently clean shaven due to a catastrophic gum related incident, rubs against that one stubborn cowlick. All tucked in together as they stare up at the moon. It should be the height of romantic cuddling, and it mostly is. Their last day on a vacation to a foreign country, full of wine and fireplaces and engagement rings. Shuichi blinks away a stubbornly loose eyelash.

Kaito's throat lozenge clicks against his teeth as the man makes a triumphant noise, "Alright... Those binoculars work great, partner! I'll hand them over and point out the-"

"I want to be a woman."

The throat lozenge stops clicking and the arm around Shuichi’s body stills. Not relaxing or tightening at all, Kaito just ceases all action, until the man exhales. Shuichi’s eyes slowly close around the burning building up in them. Horror stories- but there's no way that those stories will be coming true tonight. Don't let yourself think that, the Detective thinks on repeat. Moments pass in silence save for enough bug music for Gokuhara to be proud.

"Is- is this about that café that Ouma made everyone go to for his birthday? The crossdressing?" Kaito softly asks, turning on his side as chilly autumn air invades their blankets.

Shuichi’s eyes peek open enough to see one worried Astronaut looking down.

"A little bit? You know... How papercuts don't hurt until you see them?" the Detective murmurs, hands fidgeting and fingers bothering a ring covered in constellations. Swallowing, clumped up lead in throat, "And then it hurts more than you think it should while you try to ignore it. Or a light bulb goes on and then it shatters, so all you have is a broken light."

Magenta and gold meet before both of them look away.

"Yeah, I know about that," the man answers, doubtlessly thinking back to screaming and yelling back at a private rehab center- a locked door in between them. Shuichi glances over and finds a pensive kind of expression. Intent eyes gazing up at space as if to find answers.

There's a small moon engraved on the insides of their engagement rings. A nod to how Kaito confessed, just as this last event is supposed to tie into it and how Shuichi proposed. It's a heavy weight on a finger too big, too strong, all wrongly shaped and itchy like a healing papercut. One last stone to throw onto an already fragile eggshell.

Shuichi isn't sure if Kaito will understand the feeling of needing to shave and shave and shave each little speck of body hair. The self-disgust and discombobulation at seeing a too much muscle build up, being too much a man. He already tries to keep Shuichi in training and raises eyebrows at shaving for cycling…

How is Shuichi supposed to explain sneaking a dress home and looking into the mirror and wishing? How is Shuichi supposed to explain that growing out a few more inches of hair as being more than just because, or that the laptop's browsing history gets erased because otherwise there's going to be things like 'how to get estrogen'? All the 'where are consent clinics in Japan' with 'do I need a diagnosis', and 'what doctors are trans friendly' or 'how do I know I'm mtf' and 'bottom surgery healing'? That the site about measuring your body for sizes wasn't just for helping Shirogane. What can Shuichi do if Kaito just leaves because this is the final breaking point in the list of things he ruins-

Why does it have to be so quiet?

"So you'd be my wife instead of my husband? I don't... I don't really get it but... This isn't how Shinguji likes to dress effeminate but he's still a guy?" Kaito hesitantly begins, deep voice fading in and out. "You want to be a woman because- because being a man is painful?"

Swallowing and furiously rubbing at burning wet eyes, Shuichi sucks in air and says a weak, "Yup."

A warm kiss gets pressed into Shuichi's forehead, and for a moment the Detective isn't even sure what it is. No facial hair on Kaito is weird. No tickle, no bristle, no familiar scratch that Shuichi only loves on other people. But it's Kaito kissing Shuichi’s hair, then skin- lips soon meeting lips in and way that has Shuichi’s emotional damn breaking. Hot tears run down cheeks as if they were asked to, and the man that Shuichi is good to marry tastes like honey lemon with chills. 

"I hate it- I hate everything about it and I'm sorry," the Detective whispers, fingers digging into thick fabric, spine tingling with old insecurities roiling.

"Don't apologize for this, partner," and hands hold Shuichi closer into warmth.

The tan skin of Kaito's neck becomes all that gold eyes see. Vision already blurry, Shuichi squeezes those eyes shut as mucus clogs sinuses and throat. Always an ugly crier in real life. 

Shuichi’s voice wavers, "But I knew. I always knew but it was just such a dull ache and I wasn't ever..."

Trailing off evolves into an embrace full of shudders and gentle kisses. Messy once Shuichi gathers the courage to meet Kaito's lips again. Chapped as always, less now than years ago. Kaito murmurs reassuring words, hands keeping the Detective grounded in a reality where the moon is glowing down on them. With the bugs chirping and autumn chill being fought by coats, gloves, blankets and human warmth.

"You think Angie will be around when we get back?" Kaito asks when Shuichi finds the binoculars again.

"Why?"

A grin full of teeth and affection spreads across the Ultimate Astronaut's face, "Can't let my future wife wear a man's ring, right? She owes me a favor anyway. Gave her an extra lunch ticket back in rehab, and I never cashed it in!"

"Kaito-kun!" Shuichi squeaks, dropping the binoculars tears start up again- but she just laughs and can't even find the deep sound annoying or discouraging.

"Let's look for wedding dresses back at the lodge too..."

A hand covers wobbling lips that stretch from ear to ear. Shuichi laughs wetly again, her ring gleaming, and she says for a second time the same thing with different words. 

"Let's get married, Kaito-kun. I- I want to be your wife."

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Staccato Heart](https://archiveofourown.org/works/17958743) by [Pandacolyte](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandacolyte/pseuds/Pandacolyte)




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